I have a small farm. Can I have sheep?

Small holdings and sheep – the perfect match?

Falling wool prices and increasing associated management inputs has made having small flocks of sheep unprofitable and while small holdings may not be driven by profits, any stock on farm should be adding value.

But not all sheep breeds are created equal. Meat sheep specific breeds have been making in roads into the Australian landscape, and with good reason.

Smaller than cattle, easier to contain than goats, and with a lower start up infrastructure costs than wool sheep, meet sheep breeds such as Dorpers, Australian White and Wilitipol are in paddocks and on plates across the country.

Producers keen to raise their own meat source have turned to meat sheep as a sustainable, easy to manage alternative.

Bred to excel in limited space and challenging conditions, meat sheep manage pasture and feed loads in a similar manner to cattle, with a higher feed conversion rate and higher fertility.

Meat sheep have different husbandry needs to wool sheep, which can present its own challenges.  “Meat sheep breeds are often bigger, stronger and more savvy than pure wool breeds,” said David Hicks of Offsider Agricultural Equipment.  “We have designed equipment specifically to handle Australian meat sheep.”

After learning more about meat sheep, Mr Hicks started a mob of his own. “We had destocked cattle because of the drought, and the prices made it difficult to get back in. We were fortunate to be able to get our hands on 20 Wiltipol ewes in lamb and a ram with good genetics to form the base of our new operation.”

The hands-on experience has been good for business too. “Our Australian made Meat Sheep Handler, sheep yards and our Offsider Ag Backing Bars, create a handling system that can be operated by a single person,” said Mr Hicks, “and I can say that hand on heart, because I have seen my wife using it!”

“Our designs aren’t just based of our experience though.  We worked with the Dorper breed society, commercial breeders of Australian Whites, Lamb Master and Ultra Whites and stud breeders of all sorts, to make sure the gear works for all types of meat sheep.”

Breed selection isn’t just a matter of choosing one and hoping. While Dorpers thrive in western areas, they may have issues in higher rainfall areas. No matter which breed type, producers should select animals to emphasise easy care, strong confirmation, high fertility and good feet for local conditions, to take advantage of the meat sheep breeds low-maintenance tendencies.

Low maintenance doesn’t mean no maintenance. Small flock management depends on monitoring for animal malnutrition, worms and lameness and with some meat sheep breeds ewes topping out at over 80 kg, need good equipment to keep you, and them safe.

“With the proper equipment, it is easy to get your sheep in, run them through the yards and check them over. The way the Offsider gear is made, you can do it alone, safely and quickly.”

With good prices at the sale yards and growing popularity, the future of meat sheep in Australia looks bright.

For more information on raising meat sheep contact your DPI extension officer or your local land service.